How far along? 21 weeks 1 day.
Size of baby: From head to toe, she's about 10.5 inches long and weighs 12.7 ounces. She's now the size of a pomegranate.
Sleep: Everything is going just dandy. Even sleeping on the air mattress at my mother-in-law's house hasn't been too shabby.
Total weight gain: Beats me.
Unglamorous body changes: Again, unrelated to pregnancy, but I had one of my first chilblains (basically a swollen, itchy bump) of the season appear on my big toe this week. I'm hoping the Arizona weather will make it disappear, as they get worse in the cold. I was hoping to avoid them altogether this year since apparently pregnancy is supposed to improve symptoms, but no such luck. I've been getting chilbs every year since I was in seventh grade, which is most unfortunate.
Best moment this week: Well, celebrating Thanksgiving with Jacob's family was most enjoyable. As was seeing Catching Fire yesterday. 
Movement: She's getting more active, especially in the evenings. Jacob hasn't felt the baby move since that first time, though.
Maternity clothes: Last Saturday I went to Dillard's to get fitted for a bra. Guess who was wearing bras a full THREE cup sizes too small? And since I only bought one bra in the proper size (these things are expensive!) and since you're not supposed to wear the same one two days in a row, 50% of the time I'll still be wearing bras that are way too small. Alas.
Food cravings/aversions: Nothing in particular. Maybe sweets?
Symptoms: I sometimes feel guilty for having such an easy pregnancy when I hear stories of women who had miserable times, but I really haven't noticed any symptoms this week.
Currently looking forward to: Perhaps spending more time with Jacob's siblings and their chillens later today. OH! And Jacob shaving his mustache! No-Shave November has made life pretty bleak for this woman. One more day . . .  (though let's be honest, he probably won't shave until Monday at the earliest. A girl can hope.)
Realization of the week: The name we pick for our baby will stick with her for the rest of her life (assuming she doesn't choose to change it legally). We need to make it a good one!
Other tidbits: My sister-in-law Carly took me to Once Upon a Child yesterday (which is like a second-hand store specifically for baby items) and I was able to get 20 onesies and 4 swaddlers for only 30 bucks! What a steal! Also, Jacob and I went to get my wedding ring cleaned and resized from a 5.5 to a 4.75 and it fits so much better now. Glorious day!

How far along? 20 weeks 1 day. Halfway there!
Size of baby: The size (length?) of a banana, six and a half inches long and 10.2 ounces or so.
Sleep: I fall asleep really easily but I've been having a hard time waking up and getting out of bed this week. Sometimes my dreams make me feel unrested. Like the time I dreamt Jacob and I decided to jump off a building onto a mattress at this adventure place but our guide made us miss the mattress. And it was only after we landed spread eagle on the ground that I started to think this might not have been the best idea, what with being pregnant and all.
Total weight gain: I think about +8 from pre-pregnancy, +12 from lowest weight to now. (Really, I ought to just pick one "starting weight" and stick with it.)
Unglamorous body changes: My face has been a bit more oily this week.
Best moment this week: So many to choose from! Jacob felt the baby kick this week (more on that below), I announced to my class that we're having a baby, and we found out that we're having a girl! More importantly, everything is developing normally and she's growing on schedule.
Movement: On Sunday I was pretty sure I felt the baby move from the outside, but of course Jacob was at work so he wasn't able to experience it. Then on Wednesday I felt her moving around again and instructed Jacob to put his hand on my stomach. Nothing happened for a while, but then she made a strong kick (or possibly a punch; I can't differentiate these things yet) and Jacob announced that he was able to feel it. He had the biggest smile on his face which may have made my heart melt out of my eyes a little bit.
Maternity clothes: I set the maternity pants aside for now and just wore the belly band a couple times this week. I still have one pair of work pants and several pairs of jeans I can button. 
Food cravings/aversions: Nothing in particular.
Symptoms: This has been ongoing for a while, but I don't think I've mentioned this one yet. I seem to have an excess of saliva and I often catch myself spraying as I read aloud to my class. Embarrassing. At least none of my students have called me out on it yet. Unrelated to pregnancy, I'm getting a cold and last night my throat started getting sore. Noooooooo!
Currently looking forward to: Visiting Jacob's family in Arizona for Thanksgiving! Also, attending my niece's one year birthday party later today.
Realization of the week: We have been so incredibly blessed. The fact that we were able to pay for an IVF cycle, and then to have it work on the first try, is nothing short of miraculous. Knowing that our baby girl is developing healthily is another blessing. I went to a Relief Society activity this week and sat at a table with another woman who was rocking her 8 month old baby to sleep. A year prior, such a scene would have made me go home and bawl. Now, it's an image of something I have to look forward to. Is this really my life? Sometimes it just feels like a happy dream. 
Other tidbits: When I told my class I was having a baby, a couple students weren't sure whether they should believe me. One of my boys raised his hand and said, "Uh . . . you don't look like you're having a baby." Another girl said, "Are you joking about having a baby?" I probably could've waited to tell my class until I started showing more obviously, but I wanted them to vote if they thought the baby would be a boy or a girl. Two-thirds of the class voted "boy". And even as it is, one girl asked, "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" So there you have it.

Each Sunday, one woman of the ward is spotlighted in the Relief Society bulletin. Last week, I was given a questionnaire to fill out so I, too, can have my 15 seconds (approximately how long it takes to read the spotlight) of fame.

One of the questions asks what your most substantial accomplishment of 2013 is thus far. On a scale from 1 to 10, how awkward would it be to list "successfully completing an IVF cycle to get pregnant" be? Because really, that was definitely an accomplishment.

If I chicken out, "finishing my first year teaching" is another alternative.

Also, for those of you who may read this, there's a poll on the sidebar where you can vote if you think Baby Erickson is a boy or a girl. I have no real intuition either way. I was thinking girl, but now I'm thinking boy. I guess we'll find out Friday if baby is cooperative!

I'm definitely looking . . . lumpier. Awesome.

How far along? 19 weeks 1 day.
Size of baby: If we're going to keep going with the fruit comparisons (and why stop now?), baby is about the size of a mango. From head to bum, s/he's six inches long and a little over half a pound. I kind of can't believe there's something that big inside of me. 
Sleep: Still sleeping well. Still having crazy dreams. 
Total weight gain: Unsure. I haven't been on a scale since my last appointment.
Unglamorous body changes: This is almost certainly a result of the colder weather rather than pregnancy (though I suppose pregnancy can also have an effect), but my hands have been all dry and scaly off and on this week. 
Best moment this week: Jacob and I went on a date to another hockey game this week (this time for an actual major league team), which was a lot of fun. And on Thursday my friends and I had our monthly Pinterest party, which always has good times for all involved.
Movement: I think I can finally label the sensations I've been feeling as baby moving. Sometimes I just feel pressure, and sometimes I feel stronger flutters. It's getting a little more frequent but I still only feel the baby a few times a day, if that. Haven't felt anything from the outside yet.
Maternity clothes: Wednesday Jacob and I went to DI and I bought a pair of maternity pants because I'm down to one pair of work pants that I can actually button, and even those are getting snug. They seemed to fit just fine in the dressing room (and actually fit fairly well in the bum, which is a rare find among pants for me), but when I wore them to school the next day I had to keep pulling them up because I guess my waist isn't big enough to fill them out. I may set them aside for another week or so. 
Food cravings/aversions: Perhaps fried bread. Not all the time, but over the course of the pregnancy I've made a funnel cake and scones, and at the hockey game I wanted a churro. And french fries, of course. Again, I think it's the smell that makes me want them so much. 
Symptoms: I've had a few more symptoms this week. I had heartburn one night this week. Also on Monday I experienced a foot cramp so painful as to bring me to tears (is it possible to have a charley horse in your foot?), which spurred Jacob to massage my foot even though I was wearing leeches. An act of true love right there -- Jacob hates touching both feet and my nylons. Later that evening I also experienced some back pain which caused me to hobble around the house with Jacob's support, but I was fine after maybe ten minutes. I've also been getting some mild headaches this week, but I'm wondering if those have been resulting from me adjusting to my glasses. Looking at this list, it sounds like a lot of ailments, but really, I'm feeling really good overall. 
Currently looking forward to: Our ultrasound on Friday! I can't decide if I'm going to tell my students about my pregnancy on Friday before the ultrasound or on the next Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. 
Realization of the week: We have to name this baby. Which means we have to agree on a name. Which means we should probably start discussing names. You'd think that with all the time we've had to brainstorm, we'd have at least a short list of names, but such is not the case. How on earth do my in-laws have their names picked out and announced as soon as they know the gender? I have a feeling we're not going to have a name until just before we come home from the hospital.
Other tidbits: Baby is developing vernix over the skin and the five senses in the brain. Also, this morning when Jacob came home from work, we were cuddling in bed and he started to sing. (I thiiiink he was singing "I Believe I Can Fly," but I don't quite remember.) After he finished singing, I told him to keep singing for the baby. He then started singing "I'm Sexy and I Know It." I responded, "Not THAT song!"

How far along? 18 weeks.
Size of baby: We've got a little sweet potato! Baby is now 5.6 inches and 6.7 ounces. You know, assuming s/he's average.
Sleep: Not much to report! This week I've gone to bed a little earlier than normal because I've been exhausted. Parent teacher conferences, anyone? And yet, on my day off today I still woke up at 5:30 as usual, despite turning my alarm off.
Total weight gain: If we start by my lowest weight at my OB's office (when I thought I lost 4 pounds), +8. 
Unglamorous body changes: Conversation from earlier this week:
Jacob: Are you getting something by your mouth? (I think he was referring to the possibility of a cold sore.)
Me: A zit.
Jacob: Well, at least you're not all break-y out-y over your forehead.
Me: Is that supposed to make me feel better?
Jacob: Yep!
Best moment this week: Tough call. Was it overhearing one of my students tell another that "Mrs. Erickson is so much better than (insert name of 3rd grade teacher)"? Having parents tell me how much their children are enjoying school? Hearing the heartbeat again today? Finally getting glasses? Not having to go to work today? Actually, going out to dinner with my sister Emily and hanging out with her afterward for the last time before she entered the MTC probably tops the list.
Movement: I'm still hesitant to label anything I feel as a result of baby moving, but I have been feeling little pulses in my lower abdomen here and there. 
Maternity clothes: Still wearing the belly band. Today I busted out a pair of jeans I haven't worn in ages because I would be able to take them off without unbuttoning them pre-pregnancy. And . . . they still slide off without unbuttoning. Score. 
Food cravings/aversions: Jacob and I get Costco rewards through our credit card, so we recently got a check in the mail. On Monday we used it to buy a cheesecake. Let's not mention that there are only 2 of us and the cheesecake weighs 5.5 pounds. We still have half of it left, but I do believe a piece is calling my name . . . 
Symptoms: Not much, really. (Other pregnant women who are having miserable pregnancies, please don't hurt me.)
Currently looking forward to: Finding out the gender! We originally had our anatomy ultrasound scheduled for today after my doctor's appointment, but when we scheduled it the receptionist "strongly encouraged" us to wait until 20 weeks. Earlier this week I rescheduled it for 2 weeks from today, based on that recommendation. And then my doctor told me he was surprised anyone told us because once you hit 18 weeks the ultrasounds are pretty accurate. So we have the green light to reschedule again! (I'm waiting for Jacob to wake up so we can figure out a time that works for both of us.) I hope they can squeeze us in soon! 
ETA: I originally wrote this post around 10:30 in the morning. At 3, when I bounded into the bedroom to wake Jacob up, we discussed when a good time would be to reschedule our ultrasound. Visions of getting in on Tuesday or Wednesday danced in my head. I called up the maternal diagnostic center, told the receptionist that our doctor said I could have the ultrasound at any point from today on, and was told AGAIN that they wanted to get as close to 20 weeks as possible. So they would've scheduled us only a couple days earlier, if that. Defeated, I said we'd just keep our current appointment and hung up. And then I dissolved into tears. Oh, the woe.
Realization of the week: So far our baby items include exactly the following: 2 outfits (neither of which are really gender neutral) and a toy that can hang from a car seat handle or play gym. We have a little person coming to stay in 5 months. Time to start shopping! 
Other tidbits: My doctor said that I'm pretty much a rockstar patient as far as blood pressure and weight gain and such. Everything is looking good! Baby's heart rate was 140 beats per minute. I could listen to that sound for minutes. (I'd say "hours", but let's be real, it might get a little bothersome after a while.)

How far along? 17 weeks.
Size of baby: The size of an onion; a little over 5 inches and just under 6 ounces. (Side note: the measurements up to 20 weeks are from "crown to rump"; after 20 weeks, the measurements will include baby's legs as well.)
Sleep: Things are going just dandy in this department. The random dreams continue to be a nightly occurrence. 
Total weight gain: +5.5 pounds.
Unglamorous body changes: I have a ton of blackheads this week. Also (gentlemen, don't read this), the veins in my chest actually protrude from the surface of the skin, making the ladies feel all sorts of lumpy and deformed. 
Best moment this week: Halloween fell on a short school day this year! And I didn't have to go to work today! (It's still a teacher work day, where we have to spend at least 3 hours getting report cards ready. I've already spent an hour on them so far this morning and I'm sure I have many more to go. But still: let the parents deal with their sugar-high children.)
Movement: I'm not sure if I've been feeing flutterings or if I've just been feeling the process of digestion. Nothing that's made me think, "oh, that's definitely the baby!" 
Maternity clothes: Just the belly band with certain pairs of pants. 
Food cravings/aversions: I may or may not have partaken in quite a bit of candy leftover from my class's Halloween party yesterday. But that was mostly because it was available and delicious and less because I was craving it. Also, right now I really want some clementines. WHY don't we have any?
Symptoms: I don't know if this has been the result of hormones or just being stretched too thin (last week I had training for 3+ hours every single day after school and this week I've been trying to get report cards ready for Parent Teacher conferences), but I've been a bit more moody and weepy this week. My gums also started bleeding after flossing one night and I've had a couple minor nosebleeds as well.
Currently looking forward to: Being done with Parent Teacher Conferences. Before that, finishing report cards. And, I don't know, maybe actually looking pregnant.
Realization of the week: I started looking at baby gear this week (car seats, carriers, cribs, and the like) and got a little panicky about which brands to choose and how pricey everything was. And then it hit me: we've already spent over $20,000 on this baby! What's a few piddling hundred dollars on some of the big ticket items, am I right?
Other tidbits: (Paraphrased) conversation between Jacob and I earlier this week: 
Me (Lifting up my shirt and examining my stomach in the mirror): I'm still not really showing yet.
Jacob: Sure you are! You're sucking in. Let it all hang out.
Me: (Does as instructed.)
Jacob: See? You've got a nice little pooch there.
Me: (Immediately sucks stomach back in.) You should not call it that.